C20 The Sound of Thunder

Inside the package was a small tabletop and a folding stand. I set it up, draped a yellow cloth over it, and fashioned a modest altar.

I arranged the incense burner, fruit plate, and other essential items neatly. Then, I placed three plates of offerings on the table. Thankfully, my detailed note prompted Wang Dali to bring all the offerings in one trip; otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to complete the ritual.

The offerings were simple: a plate of roast chicken, a plate of apples, and a plate of crispy rice. They seemed like an odd combination, but that's exactly how Zhou taught me.

Once everything was in place, I pulled a small cloth pouch from my waist, filled with glutinous rice. The rice, known for its strong Yang energy, has been used since ancient times to repel evil spirits and demons. But for this spell, it wasn't enough to just have the rice; it had to be worn for at least seven days and nights to absorb human Qi.

I poured the rice into a bowl, bit my tongue to draw blood, and let a drop fall into the bowl. Then I lit three sticks of incense in the burner and grabbed the peach wood sword.

With that, the spell's preparation was complete. Having practiced for several years, I executed the setup seamlessly. The Yin soldiers hadn't even made much distance yet.

I wasn't worried. Brandishing the peach wood sword at the old ghost, I burst into boisterous laughter.

"Ha! You're in for it now, scoundrel. Call off your minions before it's too late. It'd be a shame to waste their Yin energy. Spare them the trouble of a futile death!"

Though I had erected the altar, there were countless others in the world, and they all looked similar before activation. The old ghost, still unaware of my intentions, glared at me darkly.

"Still mouthing off at death's door, huh? How many Yin Warriors do you think your puny altar can withstand? Charge! Shatter this boy's altar, devour him, and bring his soul to me!"

The old ghost clearly had some spell to command the Yin Warriors. At his behest, they accelerated their charge. Meanwhile, he gestured to something behind him. In the woods, a faint red hue suggested the approach of over a hundred red-clad vengeful spirits.

The number of red ghosts was smaller than that of the Yin Warriors, but each one was far more formidable. Once they latched on, they were incredibly difficult to shake off, relentless until death. If they caught up to us, within ten minutes, we'd all be nothing but cold bones.

Bai Xiaoxiao approached and tugged at my sleeve.

"Wang Xu, I... We should really run. With so many Yin Warriors, no spell could hold them off!"

He was visibly terrified, biting his lip hard, his face ghostly pale, pulling me insistently backward.

After a moment's thought, I turned to Wang Dali and said,

"Dali, take the girl and get out of here. The farther, the better. Don't worry, I'll catch up soon. I've got a plan for your sister's situation."

Wang Dali hesitated but ultimately took Bai Xiaoxiao's hand and left, putting his trust in me. Their departure significantly eased my burden, and I could feel my nerves calming down.

Defending against the Yin Soldiers was one thing, but doing so while protecting two others was an entirely different challenge.

I grasped the peach wood sword and quietly strung the three talismans I had prepared onto it, then yelled at the old ghost,

"If this spell can't wipe out these Yin Soldiers, then I might as well eat dung and end it all. I'd have no reason to go on."

The sword transformed as the talismans were affixed, pulsing with a unique power that seemed to resonate with the celestial forces above, bringing a subtle sense of oppression down upon us.

The old ghost looked on in horror, fixated on the peach wood sword now bound with talismans, then glanced skyward. The clouds above began to roil, as though gathering strength.

Seizing the moment, I grabbed a handful of glutinous rice and scattered it around, stemming the advance of the Yin Soldiers and purifying the area around the altar, readying it for the spell.

"I am attuned to the thunder; let the Thunder God respond in kind. With each call and answer, let it be firmly bound..."

Finishing the incantations, the old ghost lost all composure, his face contorted as if he had suffered a great loss. He frantically signaled to the red ghosts rushing our way, urging them not to bother and to flee as far as they could.

The old ghost charged forward, confronting the head of the Yin Soldiers and expelled a cloud of black fog. This fog halted the soldiers' advance in its tracks. With a mix of commands and sheer force, the old ghost managed to redirect them, and they ultimately retreated.

With both groups of spirits gone, the old ghost exhaled deeply in relief. Meanwhile, I stood behind the altar, peach wood sword in hand, watching him with an amused grin.

The old ghost had previously trapped Bai Xiaoxiao and me in the Soul Devouring Prison, toying with us as if we were mice to his cat. But as they say, what goes around comes around, and now it was his turn to play the mouse.

I scattered some glutinous rice and gave the peach wood sword a couple of shakes. The clouds above coalesced into ominous dark clouds, with the sound of distant thunder rumbling within, signaling a storm brewing.

The old ghost raised his hands as if to surrender and pleaded with me, "Don't be rash! Let's talk this out! What do you want, exactly? A ghost? I can give you that, let you go back to brewing that black concoction. Just don't bring down whatever's brewing in those clouds..."

Indeed, I was wielding the power of thunder, with lightning hidden within the clouds. The thunder technique, a fusion of metal and fire, embodies the righteous qi of heaven and earth, and is particularly potent against malevolent spirits. No wonder the old ghost was so anxious.

I was about to demand that he lift the ghostly pact from Wang Lele, but seeing his reaction, I realized he was unaware of my true purpose. They say wisdom comes with age, and this old ghost was likely even more sly and wily.

If he discovered I was after the ghostly pact, he'd surely use Wang Lele's fate as leverage against me, putting me at a disadvantage. Besides, my thunder technique was more of a bluff, unable to be sustained for long. I couldn't afford to reveal that just yet.

"Ahem, so, you said you wanted to talk?" I prompted.

Seeing my willingness to engage, the old ghost's demeanor brightened immediately, his eagerness akin to that of an excited pug.

"Absolutely, you're after a ghost, or what exactly? Let's have a proper chat, just please don't bring down that thunder... I mean, even Zhou himself never mastered this trick, and yet you've picked it up. The youth really do inspire awe..."

In that moment, I realized how smart I had been not to reveal my true intentions. In such a critical time, he actually recalled that Zhou never knew this technique. If I had let him stall any longer, he would have discovered that my thunder spell was nothing more than a bluff. So, I quickly blurted out:

"No more talking, I'm here to strike you down!"

Without hesitation, I resumed my incantation:

"...I am the Thunder God, and the Thunder God is me. The lightning obeys the heavens' decree, who dares defy me?"

As soon as I finished, a bolt of lightning streaked across the dark clouds, followed by a thunderous boom. The Old Ghost collapsed to the ground, petrified. The thunder's roar is indeed too daunting for spectral beings.

In that electrifying moment, I bit the tip of my tongue and sprayed a mouthful of blood onto the peach wood sword. I approached the Old Ghost and delivered a swift blow to the back of his head, then took off running.

The altar? Forget it. This thunder technique was purely for show and stood no chance against a horde of ghosts.

Once I had put some distance between us, I started to unwind and let out a sigh. This sham of a thunder technique had been Zhou's burden until his dying day.